And thanks to these reviewers!

Randomness, SpottedOne, Pervy Newsie Fancier, SparksdaNewsie, and Kaylee.

Sorry if my facts and stuff about cancer are not correct. I got all my information from a novel... now... On with the story!

~~/~@

~~/~@

A Week Later...

~~~/~@

Race, Mush, and Kid Blink were selling together and talking.

"Hey, have any of you noticed how different Jack's been acting?" Mush asked.

"Yeah. He's either very depressed or he's the total opposite and all happy and wanting to do something with everyone." Kid Blink said.

"Yeah... I don't mind the happy part, but I feel so bad when he's down and depressed... It's like nothing will cheer him up." Race commented.

"He's been like this since he was sick. Something is not right." Mush said, and they all nodded in agreement.

After the three finished selling all of their papers they headed back to the Lodging House. Jack was already there and he had most of his belongings spread out on the floor.

"Watcha doin'?" Mush asked carefully. Jack jumped and turned to face him.

"Ya scared me. I ain't doing nothin'." He said. He kept one hand hidden behind his back.

"Well, watcha hiding behind your back? Jack, what's going? We know you've been acting different lately. Why?" Kid Blink asked. Race reached over and grabbed Jack's hand behind his back.

"What are you hiding?" He asked. He took a pad of paper from Jack's hand and looked at it. Jack looked at the ground, his face growing red as Race read it.

"Jack, this is a will." Race said quietly. Jack nodded.

"Why ya makin' a will?" Mush asked. Jack shrugged.

"You had a scare... you got really sick and it scared you, right?" Kid Blink suggested. Jack nodded in an unconvincing way.

"Something else? We're gonna find out sooner or later, so tell us." Kid Blink said.

"Ok, but you can't tell anyone else... you gotta promise." Jack said seriously. They all nodded and promised.

"K, well... I wasn't sick because of dehydration. The doctor said that I got some cancer or something in my head and nothing can be done about it. I'm dying, guys." Jack said.

"But you got better after." Race argued.

"I've had a few bloody noses since then. Today, I came back early because of a stinkin' headache. They're gettin' bad." Jack said. He gestred to a pile of unsold papers on a bunk.

"How long do you have?" Mush asked. Jack shrugged.

"I dunno... It's just whenever. But the doc said I'd get sicker before I die."

"Well, are you alright with this?" Mush asked him. Jack started to nod his head, but it turned to shaking as tears welled up in his eyes.

"No... I don't think I am yet. It's been hard not to be able to talk to nobody. I'm not ready to die. I'm only seventeen."

"Why didn't you just tell us?" Kid Blink wanted to know.

"I didn't want you all to worry. You can't tell anyone, especially David. He's got his own family to worry about." Jack said as he composed himself again.

"Yeah, ok. You have our word." Race promised him.

~~/~@

"Extra! Extra! Couple kills themselves because of family feud!" Jack yelled out the improved headline. The area theater was putting on a production of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. With that headline, his last two papers were sold and he was free for the rest of the day.

He started walking to Tibby's, but stopped as a wave of dizziness overtook him, and he fell to his knees. He felt gentle arms take his shoulders and ease him to the ground and touch his face. His vision was dark and his hearing was muffled, and he could not see what was happening.

He felt himself get cooler as shade was put over him. Soon, the dizziness started to face and his vision and hearing cleared. His mind grew sharper and he groaned.

"What happened?" He mumbled softly and tried to sit up. He was pushed back down.

"Stay there for a moment. You were really out of it for a while there. Are you OK?" A girl asked. She was holding her umbrella over him for shade.

"Um, yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." He answered.

"I didn't know what happened. Could have been the sun, so I shaded you. But, I really don't know what happened. You just kinda fell and you were-"

"Thanks for the help. You like to talk alot." Jack observed.

"Um, yeah I guess I do. It's really a problem of mine. I just can't seem to shut up... um... sorry." She blushed. She stood up and reached for Jack's hand to help him up.

"Thanks." He muttered.

"You're sure you're OK? Maybe I should walk with you back to wherever you live."

"Yeah, ok. Thank you, Miss..."

"Oh, Kelli. Kelli Welles is my name. And you are?"

"Jack Kelly." Jack answered as they walked to the Lodging House.

"And if we got married, I'd be Kelli Kelly!" Kelli laughed.

"Yeah..." Jack smiled half-heartedly.

"So, what happened back there? You kinda just shrugged it off... like it was no big deal. I don't see that happen every day." Kelli said more seriously.

"OH, well it happens. Nothing to get really worried about. Well, here we are. The Newsboys Lodging House." Jack changed the subject.

"Oh, you're a newsie. Guess I'll buy my papers from you from now on." Kelli smiled.

"Yeah, thanks again."

"Anytime. Hey... get rest." Kelli said before leaving.

Jack entered the Lodging House and went to the bunking room. Then, he saw a blood droplet fall to the floor. He rushed to the wash room and washed his face, and held the cloth to his nose while he washed the floor. He washed the cloth after his nose stopped bleeding. Then, he lied down on his bunk and fell asleep.